Petrie appointed new CPO at Nestlé

Nestlé has appointed a new head of purchasing following the resignation of Malcolm Harrison.

Kevin Petrie will now oversee procurement operations for the Swiss company. He was promoted from the position of vice-president and CPO of Nestlé's business services division in the US. In that role he led a team of 170 buyers and controlled a $12 billion (£7.2 billion) annual spend for indirect and direct materials.

A spokesman for the food company told SM Harrison decided to step down to "pursue other opportunities".

Harrison had previously worked for drinks giant Anheuser-Busch InBev and is a member of the editorial board for SM's sister magazine CPO Agenda.

Nestlé reported this month that profits fell by 2 per cent in the first half of 2009, due in part to the strength of the Swiss franc against other currencies.